Head of R&D / NPD - Food Manufacturer (South Madrid)

• +5 years experience managing food related R&D / NPD teams|Fluent in English

Food Manufacturer Multinational (Southern Madrid)

Reporting to the Marketing Director the professional must:

• To lead and drive the business product development and technical product capability to develop a pipeline of market leading, best quality, competitive priced products.


• Understanding key consumer food and lifestyle trends that may feed our strategic innovation platforms for growth by converting them into concept ideas within the company and customer guidelines.


• Working closely and collaboratively with Marketing and Sales team Co creates an NPD and innovation calendar. Helps to create compelling customer/consumer NPD sell presentations.


• End to end project accountability for NPD launches within the EMEA team with focus, but not exclusively, in the market. Strong liaison with wider group development functions.


• Responsible for efficient management of current portfolio of products and materials including improving, keeping up to date, identifying conflicts, constraints, and options for simplification at all levels of the portfolio layers.


• Work with the Procurement and Technical teams to identify and source new raw materials / packaging, ingredients, etc…


• Leading the team of a R&D / NPD manager and 2 NPD specialists

Main challenges the position faces (within the context of job functions):

• How to develop a product based on a marketing brief with claims and nutritional profile


• How to develop a totally new product and make it relevant for production to run without waste, required quality, achieving shelf-life targets, at target cost and line speed efficiency


• How to manage multiple priorities et once for differing channels


• How to influence product development for consumer trends: healthier, less ingredients, better nutritional profiles, less nasties, different oils,


• Operational vs strategic: challenge of getting thinking time and safari time to look at trends whilst having to maintain balance of workload


• How to value engineer and cost reduce something whilst maintaining product quality


• Mix of product lifes from bakery, ambient longer life and products that are frozen

Health Insurance

Variable bonus

1-2 teleworking days

• Strong Portfolio, Program and Project Management to deliver projects from concept to product launch, providing clear direction, planning and time-lines.


• A strong hands-on team player that builds effective relationships with all key stakeholders (both internal and external) to maximize the NPD opportunity in conjunction with Operations, technical specialists, supply chain and manufacturing sites.


• Excellent leadership, motivational skills. Good at problem solving; is able to prioritise differing demands and work to customer and internal time-lines.


• Positive attitude to create enthusiasm in a busy team with ability to perform under pressure.


• Sense of urgency, multitasking, attention to detail but also ability to see the bigger picture.


• Will take ownership and responsibility for a team / process. Self- starter that can question/challenge information being given, identify gaps and areas for improvements.